iZettle launches the world’s first card reader made from recycled ocean plastic
Today iZettle, a member of the PayPal family, has launched the Ocean Reader, the world’s first card reader made from recycled ocean plastic. 75% of the Ocean Reader is made using fishing nets and ropes collected from the North and Baltic seas. Its creation follows research stating that 46% of the five trillion pieces of plastic polluting the ocean is made up of old fishing nets.1
The project has already seen iZettle remove more than one tonne of plastic from the ocean and the Ocean Reader marks its first step to providing small businesses with products made from sustainable materials. The company hopes the initiative will be a catalyst for the entire industry to move towards more sustainable plastic use.
Ocean Reader from iZettle on Vimeo.
Jacob de Geer, the co-founder of iZettle, says, “Every day small businesses set out to make smart decisions, not just for their bottom line but for the planet too. iZettle’s mission is to help them succeed and when it comes to things like sustainability, we have a responsibility to do all we can. I’m proud that iZettle is launching the world’s first card reader made of recycled ocean plastics, but at the same time, it’s a failure of the entire industry that this is only happening now, in 2019. We all have to do better.”
Today, there are almost 125 million card readers in the world, and this number is expected to grow by 6% on average every year. 2 iZettle’s ambition is that all new products it launches will include recycled materials by 2021.
iZettle launched the world’s first mini chip card reader and software for mobile devices in 2011. Today hundreds of thousands of small businesses use the iZettle Reader across Europe and Latin America. When it comes to functionality and power, the limited edition Ocean Reader is identical to the current iZettle Reader 2.
The Ocean Reader comes with a charging dock, which is also made from ocean plastic. Both are deep green in colour and no two readers are alike due to the nature of the recycled plastic. The Ocean Reader set will retail at the same price as the iZettle Reader 2 and dock at £98+VAT. iZettle will donate 20% of the sale price of each Reader to organisations committed to removing plastic from the oceans.
The Ocean Reader is produced with Oceanworks® Guaranteed recycled ocean plastics and certified by Oceanworks, the global recycled ocean plastics marketplace. CEO of Oceanworks, Rob Ianelli, says, “Oceanworks is very proud of the launch of the iZettle Ocean Reader 2 as we share many core values with the company. iZettle’s innovative approach to ‘payments with purpose’ will catalyze a powerful wave of change in many industries.”
For more information and to purchase the Ocean Reader visit izettle.com/gb/ocean-reader.
About iZettle
iZettle, a member of the PayPal family, is on a mission to help small businesses succeed in a world of giants. Founded in Stockholm in 2010, the financial technology company revolutionised mobile payments with the world’s first mini chip card reader and software for mobile devices. Today iZettle’s commerce platform for small businesses in Europe and Latin America provides tools to get paid, sell smarter and grow your business. Find out more information about iZettle’s small business community at iZettle.com. For more information, visit izettle.com.
About sustainability at iZettle
For iZettle, sustainability is primarily about contributing to sustainable economic development by helping small businesses to work smarter and grow. Goal 8 of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals is to promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, which is in line with our mission to help small businesses succeed in a world of giants by providing innovative, digital tools.
The Ocean Reader is iZettle’s first step toward improving its plastic consumption and working toward the UN’s 12th and 14th Sustainable Development Goals, which relate to sustainable production and the protection of marine ecosystems from pollution. iZettle also provides merchants with the service of recycling obsolete card readers. iZettle’s ambition is that all new products we launch will include recycled materials by 2021. For more information, visit press.izettle.com/en/section/sustainability.
About PayPal
PayPal has remained at the forefront of the digital payment revolution for more than 20 years. By leveraging technology to make financial services and commerce more convenient, affordable, and secure, the PayPal platform is empowering more than 295 million consumers and merchants in more than 200 markets to join and thrive in the global economy. For more information, visit paypal.com.
About Oceanworks
Oceanworks® is the global marketplace for recycled ocean plastics. Our network reduces the need for new plastics by intercepting and recycling plastic waste that is impacting our oceans. We connect trusted suppliers with companies to fast track the process of sourcing, sampling, and purchasing ocean plastic resins, yarns, components, and products.
Launched in 2018, Oceanworks® currently has over 100 companies sampling and sourcing Oceanworks® Guaranteed recycled ocean plastics. Look for the Oceanworks® Guaranteed mark on a broad range of products from credit cards, computer supplies, shoes, apparel, promotional items, home goods, and much more. For more information, visit oceanworks.co.